While Markey won the state, many SouthCoast communities went for Gomez

While Democrat U.S. Rep. Edward Markey carried the state and the city in Tuesday’s special election for the U.S. Senate seat once held by John Kerry, in other SouthCoast communities Republican opponent Gabriel Gomez was their man.

In all communities, third-party candidate Richard Heos won less than a dozen votes.

While Democrat U.S. Rep. Edward Markey carried the state and the city in Tuesday’s special election for the U.S. Senate seat once held by John Kerry, in other SouthCoast communities Republican opponent Gabriel Gomez was their man.

In all communities, third-party candidate Richard Heos won less than a dozen votes.

In Westport, voter turnout was low, like all the towns and cities, with 2,453 casting ballots, or 21.5 percent.

Political newcomer Gomez garnered 1,238 of the votes, or 50.5 percent. Markey came in with 1,199 votes, or 48.8 percent. Heos received 10 votes.

Gomez won resoundingly in that community with 815 votes, or 60.3 percent. Markey received 530 votes, or 39.2 percent. Heos earned five votes.

The majority of Swansea voters also preferred the Republican candidate, with 921 votes for Gomez, or 53.4 percent. Markey received 800 votes, or 46.3 percent. Heos got 3 votes and there were two write-in votes.

Markey beat out Gomez in Somerset, with the Democrat getting 1,540 votes, or 53 percent. Gomez received 1,349 votes, or 46 percent. Heos received 13 votes.

Voter turnout was 22 percent of eligible voters, with 2,906 going to the polls.

Percentage-wise, Fall River had the lowest voter turnout in the region, with 6,920 of the city’s 47,165 eligible voters going to the polls, or just 14.67 percent.

The Democrat earned 4,446 votes in the city, or 64.4 percent, over Gomez’s 2,390 votes, or 34.6 percent. Heos finished a distant third with 58 votes, less than one percent.